Current Areas of Research: My research interest is to identify how various signaling pathways are affected by stress, fear, developmental insults, pharmacological challenges, neural stimulation and cognition. There are three projects that reflect these long-standing interests.

Long-Term Potentiation, Long-Term Depression and Memory Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) are electrophysiological models used to investigate neural mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the rodent brain. Using an in vitro hippocampal slice preparation, we analyze the effects of various pharmacological and biochemical manipulations to isolate key neural functions important for maintaining LTP and LTD. These electrophysiology experiments allow us to develop stronger and more promising hypothesis for the neural mechanisms involved in learning and memory.

Developmental Psychobiology and Developmental Learning Disorders The aim of this project is to investigate how highly regulated and influential developmentally regulated proteins affect synaptic plasticity and ultimately cognition. Using various environmental, electrophysiological and pharmacological challenges, we identify the critical time windows when the brain is most susceptible to damage or trauma. These experiments provide a functional understanding of brain development that is important for advancing treatment of developmental brain disorders.

Neural Mechanisms of Stress, Fear and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) The central hypothesis of this project is that elevated levels of fear, anxiety and stress alter various proteins affecting cognitive function. Given PKMz’s fundamental role in the retention of long-term memories my lab examines PKMz’s function in PTSD genesis using a rodent model based on predatory scent stress. The objective is to ultimately develop better and more effective treatment regimens for PTSD.